The correct total was 28. On Saturday 24 October 2026, BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing briefly displayed 29 points for Lacey Turner and professional partner Vito Coppola. Head judge Shirley Ballas had actually awarded six, but her score appeared as seven on screen. Presenter Emma Willis corrected the mistake and apologised before the leaderboard was shown.
Which performance was it?
Strictly pairs celebrities with professional dancers and has four judges award marks out of ten. Turner is known in Britain for EastEnders. She and Coppola performed a fast tango to Blondie's “Atomic” in Series 24, Week 5. It was not a salsa. The Saturday broadcast began at 6.30pm British Summer Time; the correction came towards the end of the programme.
How did 29 appear?
Craig Revel Horwood gave seven, Motsi Mabuse seven, Shirley Ballas six and Anton Du Beke eight. That is 7 + 7 + 6 + 8 = 28. The broadcast graphic instead displayed Shirley's mark as seven, producing the temporary total of 29. There was no later one-point penalty and no evidence of a judge reversing a decision: the error was in the displayed number.
Radio Times reported on 24 October that viewers noticed the discrepancy live. Willis confirmed that Shirley's score was six and the total 28. The correction did not change the couple's leaderboard position. It also did not announce an elimination; the results programme was scheduled separately for Sunday 25 October.
Why did such a small error get attention?
Dance contests usually spark arguments about whether a routine deserves a particular mark. This time viewers first had to work out which mark had actually been given. For a few minutes, the television graphic appeared one point more generous than the judge. An energetic tango had turned the audience into an impromptu arithmetic team.
The Guardian's live coverage published real reader reactions praising the speed and effort of the tango. Those are reactions to the performance, not necessarily to the incorrect graphic. Reports on the error separately document viewers' confusion; they do not establish a judging conspiracy.
Bottom line
28 was the valid score; 29 was a temporary display mistake. The presenter acknowledged it on air. The dancers kept their rhythm; one digit on the scoreboard did not.
